The Secret Life of Streets (BBC Two)

[Pegleg]

... lovely! Thank you. And not just buses - trolley-buses too - and the odd isetta bubble-car - morris traveller - rover 90 - ford anglia - lots to wallow in

This one's just for you: http://youtu.be/PetzYO4GfDA Uk cars 1950's,1960's

Yes, there's even a bubble-car in the mix to feast your eyes on, all to the sounds of Booker T and MGs doing their hammond organ thing, The track is "Time Is Tight", very apt (OK I had to look the name up).

Back to Camden and London on the cusp, this one might make you laugh and weep in equal measure. A 45 min documentary from 1967 with James Mason no less - The London Nobody Knows, http://youtu.be/jju1Mx5P_OU

Its based on a book by Bob Stanley published in 1963 as described in this 2003 article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2003/nov/21/history

I've never read it, but Peter Ackroyd, who gets a mention, excelled himself in his 2000 publication London: The Biography.

PS The author of the book was Geoffrey Fletcher, apologies for the error.

[Serial_Apologist]

This one's just for you: http://youtu.be/PetzYO4GfDA Uk cars 1950's,1960's

Yes, ther's even a bubble-car in the mix to feast your eyes on, all to the sounds of Booker T and MGs doing their hammond organ thing, The track is "Time Is Tight", very apt (OK I had to look the name up).

Back to Camden and London on the cusp, this one might make you laugh and weep in equal measure. A 45 min documentary from 1967 with James Mason no less - The London Nobody Knows, http://youtu.be/jju1Mx5P_OU

Its based on a book by Bob Stanley published in 1963 as described in this 2003 article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2003/nov/21/history

I've never read it, but Peter Ackroyd, who gets a mention, excelled himself in his 2000 publication London: The Biography.

Thanks, Pegleg.

The Hillman Minx at 1:30 was our first ever motor - bought in 1961. "Sea cress green" was the colour iirc - a sort of pale turquoise. No automatic being available for this model, for an extra £200, my father, who was disabled, had the gear attached to the steering column, with a push in clutch slip on the handle end.

Will have a look at the James Mason documentary later - thanks again!

[Pegleg]

Absolutely wonderful, those photos, Anna - thanks so very much!

Interesting to note the half-timbered buildings in the first shots of the series that managed to survive the Great Fire, and for another 200 years. Apart from the celebrated terrace in High Holborn, two or three are to be found in the Strand, and others in Bermondsey Street, to this very day - but you have to search carefully for them.

I've just had a virtual stoll down Bermondsey Street but didn't manage to identify much amongst the well scrubbed Victoriana. But there is the intriguingly named "Times and Talents Dwellings" building circa 1908.

There's a shot of College street in Anna's reference set, it's changed very little: http://goo.gl/maps/gG2t A spectular doorway to the Inn Holders Hall. Judging by the photo of the St.Pauls area in 1946 towards the bottom of the set, these precious buildings were very lucky to have survived the Blitz.

Thanks, Pegleg.

The Hillman Minx at 1:30 was our first ever motor - bought in 1961. "Sea cress green" was the colour iirc - a sort of pale turquoise. No automatic being available for this model, for an extra £200, my father, who was disabled, had the gear attached to the steering column, with a push in clutch slip on the handle end.

After various hires, my Dad's first car was - yes you guessed it - a Hillman Minx. But don't ask me what colour it was. Next was a later model Morris Oxford.

[Anna]

Thanks Pegleg for the links. If the weather continues like this I'll view the James Mason (I thought he had a lovely voice) Google streetview is marvellous, I made a list of all addresses London branch of family lived at since beginning of 1800s, very few surviving now of course (except Pullen Buildings and outlying ones in Plumstead and East Ham) but have yet to go through all addresses. The Peter Ackroyd book is tempting but I can find no trace of the Bob Stanley one either on Amazon or AbeBooks, if anyone finds it please post link.

[mercia]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/London-Nobody-Knows-Geoffrey-Fletcher/dp/0752461990/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1340451575&sr=1-1

??

[gurnemanz]

Thanks, Pegleg.

The Hillman Minx at 1:30 was our first ever motor - bought in 1961. "Sea cress green" was the colour iirc - a sort of pale turquoise. No automatic being available for this model, for an extra £200, my father, who was disabled, had the gear attached to the steering column, with a push in clutch slip on the handle end.

I also loved those old photos.

Re Hillman Minx: Five of us aged 19 did a camping tour to Yugoslavia and Northern Italy in August 1968 using this legendary vehicle (two-tone drab grey, as I remember). Many memories: We pitched our tent on the beach at Jesolo and as it got dark turned on Radio Luxembourg to hear the the Beatles' amazing "Hey Jude" for the first time, drinking beer and staring at the phosphorescence gleaming on the Adriatic. The next day we went on a boat to Venice and the newspaper headlines were about the Russian tanks in Prague.

The Minx didn't like Croatian petrol and started spluttering. We headed for home having no idea how far we would get on the first day's drive. We arrived in Southern Germany, having kept going too long to find somewhere to camp. So we parked in a lay-by and all five us of slept in the Minx - possibly the worst night I have ever spent. We woke up understandably early and, bizarrely, right in front of us was a signpost to Dachau Concentration Camp. We had a well deserved decent breakfast and then visited the camp before the Minx set about getting us back to Old Blighty.

[Anna]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/London-Nobod...0451575&sr=1-1??

My fault mercia, I was looking for a Bob Stanley (as mentioned by Pegleg above) and didn't read the Guardian article properly <doh> should have looked for Geoffrey Fletcher! Thanks for the link.

[Pegleg]

My fault mercia, I was looking for a Bob Stanley (as mentioned by Pegleg above) and didn't read the Guardian article properly <doh> should have looked for Geoffrey Fletcher! Thanks for the link.

Oops, my fault for mixing the names up. Have changed my earlier post.

In an attempt to make amends, it's worth mentioning that you can still listen to two radio programmes in which whispering Dan Cruickshank pays homage to Geoffrey Fletcher's work. The second includes a contribution from Peter Ackroyd.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00sxj2l

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00t0d1c

Geoffrey Scowcroft Fletcher's wikipedia entry lists nearly a dozen other illustrated books he wrote about London. Of the many references to him on the web this article talks about "Down Among The Meths Men": http://englishbuildings.blogspot.co....-fletcher.html

Other articles can be found here: http://spitalfieldslife.com/2010/04/...ers-footsteps/

[David Underdown]

Pegleg - Mitcham connections, and a family building firm - long shot, the Drewett family by any chance? If so, one of them is on the roll of honour I mentioned, and I've dug up a fair bit of info. Drop me a PM if you'd rather not say on open forum

[Pegleg]

David,


Not a Drewett, but I realise now we have been in contact elsewhere with regards to the Mitcham War Memorial. I'll PM you.

[vinteuil]

... Wednesday 27 June: Portland Road W11.

...

tonite at 9pm -

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18394017

[Nick Armstrong]

tonite at 9pm -

www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18394017

PVR set Looking forward to this one - more or less equidistant between us, I suspect...

Recorded the Caledonian Rd. from the repeat last night. Looking forward to a couple of hours strolling down memory lane, later this week or at the weekend.

[Serial_Apologist]

tonite at 9pm -

www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18394017

Thanks for the reminder, Vints.

Notting Hill was on the edge of my childhood haunts. I had a school mate who lived in Clarendon Road, just up the hill from Portland Road - one of those big places backing onto communal gardens, lucky fella. That was in the late 50s/early 60s. In anticipation of the programme I cycled up Portland Road on Tuesday. What is marked on the 1882 map as Portland Place is now designated Portland Lane: the road divides, Portland Place being where mews houses are located. Up at the top end a couple of bollards divide the posh southern from the poorer northern stretches of the road. To the north all the Victorian terraces have gone, with 1930s to 1970s blocks overlooking Avondale Park with its school. Still leafy, as can just about be seen from the lowest of the photographs on the excellent BBC link, but I guess unless your ship's come home or older relations have left you something, £300,000 for a flat will still be too much for a person on a lifetime's employment within the lowest 5% income category.

One should make the most of the chances still afforded to visit districts such as this - sit outside one of the lovely pubs, watch and listen. If life goes on at the present rate of deterioration for those at the bottom end, these burgeoning pockets of gentrification will eventually be made inacessible to all but those who can afford to live in their properties, and one can quite easily envisage gates, passes, CCTV, uniformed guards, guard dogs, etc etc. London will become like Rio.

[Anna]

Still have to catch up with Caledonian Road!! There was, BBC4, one of their London Film things, this Monday, about the East End. I thought it was very interesting but, did anyone catch the name of the photographer involved? I wondered if he was the Spitalfields blogger that I posted before?

Talking about integration, I had my hair restyled by the most drop dead gorgeous young woman from the Ukraine, (her cheekbones could have your eye out), married to a South African and living in Welsh Bandit Country - with a son called, Dylan!! She wore a black tutu and a gun holster. And, you say East End London is multi-cultural?

[Nick Armstrong]

Still have to catch up with Caledonian Road!! There was, BBC4, one of their London Film things, this Monday, about the East End. I thought it was very interesting but, did anyone catch the name of the photographer involved? I wondered if he was the Spitalfields blogger that I posted before?

I have the London Film / East End prog on my PVR along with the Cali Road to catch up on - I'll try and remember to listen out for the name of the photographer